The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association says that regular exercise, merged with a good diet can scale up the cognitive abilities, and brain function as well cut down the risk of dementia.

The advisory published in Stroke says that the brain and heart need the proper flow of blood and when the blood vessels strengthen and narrow over time, it raises the risk of strokes and heart attacks while reducing the cognitive abilities and brain functions.

Scientists say such blood vessel damage is known as atherosclerosis and can be reduced by living a healthy lifestyle including quitting smoking and alcohol, watching your blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood sugar.

What some health care providers don’t know

The researchers pointed out that many health care providers recommend some physical activities and diet to maintain a healthy heart, but most of them don’t know those factors that trigger stroke and heart attack can also delay or prevent the kick off of dementia or cognitive impairment.

The research pointed that about 75 million persons across the world could be at a higher risk of dementia come 2030, hinting that it’s healthy to take precautionary measures as early as childhood. Increased blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol can destroy blood vessel, raising the complications that reduce the flow of blood to the brain.

The research team also suggested that that good brain health and cognitive abilities can be achieved and maintained by controlling blood pressure and cholesterol not just with medications but with other little efforts.

These efforts should be geared towards eating a Mediterranean diet, doing aerobic exercises, and keep a healthy weight.

The Mediterranean countries are popular for consuming the Mediterranean diets and its mainly plant-based foods, nuts, vegetables, whole grains and olive oil. Olive oil has been associated with healthy cholesterol level and increased brain power; it’s often planted in the Mediterranean region.

Mediterranean diets also reduce the intake of unhealthy fats and increase the intake of lean protein sources such as white meat over red meat.

Western meals are often processed foods and encourage lifestyle that lacks exercise which can be detrimental to the heart and brain. Eating Mediterranean diet and engaging in other healthy habits can give the best result when started at a tender age. Engaging in proper exercising and eating well is a nice way to get started and reduce all those risk factors that are linked to the heart and brain functions.